Women-led Good Life promotes eco-friendly homecare

A range of eco-friendly cleansers made by The Good Life Company. Photo courtesy Cristina Legarza -
A range of eco-friendly cleansers made by The Good Life Company. Photo courtesy Cristina Legarza -

Cristina and Katrina Legarza are attempting to make an ecological cultural change in TT. The sisters, along with their aunt, Christine Kausmann, are founders and directors of The Good Life Company TT – a small business that makes and sells eco-friendly cleaning and household products.

“One of the things we are really trying to do, in small steps, is to shift the culture in TT by encouraging people to think differently about the everyday products we use and how it affects us. While it’s easy to walk into a supermarket and pick up cleaning products from the range of choices, we think it has a very important to encourage people to use products that will not be harmful to them and the environment.” Cristina told WMN.

At its small factory in Maraval, the company produces a line, all-natural scented products including glass, stainless steel and granite cleaners; sanitising sprays; hand sanitisers and hand soaps; insect repellents; after-sun sprays to soothe sunburns; and bathroom cleaners.

She said all products are made using green chemistry – designing chemical products and processes that results in a reduction or elimination of the generation of hazardous substances.

Cristina Legarza, one of the founders of The Good Life Company, a small business that makes and sells eco-friendly cleaning and household products. Photo courtesy Cristina Legarza -

“All our raw materials come from natural products, such as vinegar. All our stabalisers and preservatives are done following green chemistry rules – using nothing that is bad for you or for the environment.”

She said they try as much as possible to package using glass, but in the event they have to use plastic, it’s always recyclable.

“We have two different sizes – 500 ml glass bottles and two-litre plastic bottles. Customers can use the contents of the plastic bottle to refill the glass, and when the plastic is empty they can return it to us to have it sanitised and refilled. When the plastic bottle is no longer usable, we recycle it.”

She said customers can also choose from lemon grass, lavender or rosemary scents, and can pick up or have their products delivered to any part of TT.

Over the last few years, Cristina observed there has been a noticeable “obsession” with people in TT and their pets.

“We too come from an animals-oriented family, so that brings me to our very popular pet line. We make shampoos for pets, be it dog, cat, guinea pig etc. And because most people allow their pets on the couch, the bed and rugs we have an odour neutralisers for that. We also have a pet area cleaner and a grooming spray.”

The Good Life Company TT, she said, was started during the pandemic and most of the sales are done online on its website, and social media pages.

“Our Instagram page is quite popular. We are all in our 40s so still working our way around that,” she said with a chuckle. “But the products are available in a couple of stores. Peakes and Bone and Bow Pet Boutique.”

The sisters had been talking about doing something like this for a while because they had been making and using the products themselves for about four years. In 2019, while they were mainly operating from home, they began testing the market by giving out samples and encouraging feedback.

“We also did some surveys, which is actually how we came up with the granite cleaner. A lot of people were asking if we made that. We launched in mid-2020.”

Katrina, a former architect, does the manufacturing of the products and manages the social media pages. Kausmann, a graphic artist living in the US, is the formulator.

Pet products made by The Good Life Company. Photo courtesy Cristina Legarza -

“My sister is very innovative and drives us to find solutions to problems and is the one who helps us to be different and stand out. My aunt does all the recipes and tests. She has been formulating green products and using the products for over 20 years. I see about the financial aspects and logistics, like supply chain, deliveries etc,” although her background in science does contribute in other areas.

“My first degree is in biochemistry and master’s degree in environmental science. I also work with an oil company, so I am still learning how to balance both portfolios, and struggling to do it along with everything else,” the mother of two boys said.

The company employs two other women in the factory.

“We are trying to maintain a women-based company for as long as we can.”

The choice of The Good Life Company TT as a name, she said, came from their desire to stand for something that exudes healthy options.

The trio are trying to make the products as accessible as possible, with the recent launch of an ambassador programme that was open to people from different communities throughout TT.

The Good Life Company's cleaning products are made using 'green chemistry.' Photo courtesy Cristina Legarza -

“These ambassadors will market our products and earn something from doing it. We will educate them on the concept of green chemistry and they will pass it on to their community. So they will be earning as well as learning, which aligns with exactly what the company is about. So far we have got immense responses from almost every single part of Trinidad.”

She said although right now the focus is on the existing products, the company will soon seek feedback on what other types of products people will be interested in seeing on the market.

“Right now we are doing research into laundry detergents…A lot of people have allergies to some of the chemicals in detergents…Also, we are about to launch a new all-purpose cleaning product that works on glass, granite, stainless steel and in bathrooms. We are very excited about that. 2022 is our year, I can feel it!”

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